This invention relates to a digital photograph processing system, and more particularly to a digital photograph processing system for outputting a photograph while determining a ratio of picture data of a desired range to a whole range of the photograph based on digital picture data.
A digital photograph system using a digital still picture is so constructed that a picture which has been conventionally recorded on a silver salt film by silver salt photograph techniques is converted into an electric signal by a CCD or the like, resulting in being subject to digital conversion and then outputted from a printer. Thus, the digital photograph system permits the picture photographed to be confirmed immediately after the photographing without requiring operation in a dark room and facilitates additional printing of the photograph.
Also, the digital photograph system permits the picture to be edited and stored in the form of digital data, to thereby ensure construction of a data base for customers and the like and facilitate change of a background, change of a dress or the like.
A certification photograph generally has longitudinal and lateral dimensions determined or defined depending on applications thereof. In particular, in a certification photograph for a passport, a length of a head of a subject and a margin above the head are defined as well. A certificate photograph for any other application likewise has a size of the head defined to a degree. Thus, an excessively large or small size of the head on the photograph is not permissible.
In conventional silver salt photograph techniques, it is required to adjust a size of a photograph when photographing or printing takes place. When a negative film is used, enlargement into a required size is carried out during printing onto a developing paper.
Such silver salt photograph techniques require operation in a dark room, much time is required between photographing and completion of a photograph.
On the contrary, techniques of using an instant film permits a photograph to be completed in a short period of time. However, it fails in enlargement of the photograph, so that it is required to adjust a size thereof during photographing. For this purpose, techniques such as a variation in distance of the photographing, employment of any suitable lens or the like are employed to adjust a size of a picture on the film.
The digital photograph system permits a picture to be formed and stored in the form of digital data, so that both enlargement and reduction of the picture may be readily carried out according to a picture processing procedure. For example, when it is desired to obtain an output of 5 cm.times.5 cm using an output printer of 10 dots/mm in resolution, data 50 dots square are required.
Supposing that picture data are 1600.times.1200 dots and a region of a subject required for an identification photograph is photographed on an area 1000 dots square, picture data for a region of the subject required may be obtained by feeding the area 1000 dots square to the printer at every second dot.
Enlargement and reduction of a picture by digital picture processing require two data. One of the data relates to a portion of an original picture to be used and the other relates to a portion of an output range to be photographed.
The latter data may be mechanically determined by inputting of information required. For example, when a printer of 8 cm.times.6 cm in output size and 10 dots/mm in resolution is used, data fed to the printer are 800.times.600 dots in size, which are represented by X-Y coordinates of which an upper left is (0, 0) and a lower right is (799, 599).
When a photograph size of, for example, 5 cm.times.5 cm required as an output is inputted, it is found by mechanical calculation that a central region of 500.times.500 or a region between (150, 50) and (749, 549) is to be used.
The former data is varied depending on the original picture, therefore, it is carried out to display the original picture on a CRT or the like to indicate a region to be cut out. The most typical way is to move an expandable rectangle on a picture plane by means of a mouse or the like, to thereby input upper-left and lower-right coordinates of the rectangle.
Unfortunately, such a way is not necessarily suitable for a certification photograph, because adjustment of rendering a size of a head of a subject constant and positioning of the subject on a central axis are required for the certification photograph. Designation of the rectangle cut which is carried out in the way described above renders such adjustment highly troublesome.